Bonds Across the Sea
by Pendragon6719
Summary: Sanji and Law have already met each other when they were kids. Sanji wants to be friends with Law again when they meet as pirates, but Law doesn't feel the same. As they keep meeting and butting heads, Sanji realizes that he may actually think of Law as more than a friend. This is probably a horrible summary but I promise that the story is better than this summary. (Sanji/Law)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi guys! Thank you for clicking on my new story! This is my first fanfiction, so it may not be the best one out there, but I will try my best to gradually improve my story telling skills. Anyway, this story is about two people, Sanji and Law who by coincidence meet when they are kids and about how they see each other again when they grow up as pirates. Some of the characters may act more OOC than their original selves on the show. There will only be friends for now but a slight romance may appear later on. If it is requested enough times, I may increase the rating but it will stay K+ for now. This story will generally follow the plot of the One Piece series, so not much from this story will be different from the original series (except maybe a few things later on).**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece, Eiichiro Oda does.**

 **Chapter 1**

It was an extremely hot day on the floating restaurant, the Baratie, and a young blonde boy with a fringe covering his right eye was hurrying around the ship taking orders. "Hey brat!" someone from the kitchen called him.

"What do you want?!" he yelled back while running towards the kitchen.

"Take this order out to the customer!" A guy with a chef's hat covering his balding head told the kid as he all but threw him the plate on a serving dish.

"Got it!" The kid yelled back as he hurrying out the kitchen. "And the name is Sanji!"

* * *

"All they do is order me around" Sanji grumbled as he walked outside the restaurant. He was allowed a break after the lunch rush was over. The steady stream of customers would start to decrease slowly and he would not be needed to run around getting orders. "Why won't that old man let me cook!" Sanji muttered angrily as he picked up a rock and examined it. "I can cook better than most of the people on that ship, yet I'm forced to take orders instead of cooking!" He yelled as he dropkicked the rock and watched as it flew away. "I need to go back there and set him straight!" With a determined face, Sanji was about to head back to the ship before realizing that the scenery had changed. "I must've wandered off farther than I initially thought…" Looking around, Sanji saw some of the flowers that surrounded him, and noted that he had never seen these types of flowers before.

Usually, whenever Sanji was able to take a break, he would be up on the deck just staring off into the horizon. On that particular day, the Baratie was docked at an island somewhere in the East Blue.

"What pretty flowers" Sanji smiled as he kneeled close to a bush full of flowers. "It is nice to see some flowers instead of just staring out into the ocean every day." While he was silently admiring the beautiful exotic flowers, he heard a rustling nearby. "A wild animal?" Sanji thought as he looked around for something to defend himself with. Even though he was good with fighting with his legs, Sanji knew that it was better to confront an unknown foe with a weapon before resorting to close combat afterwards if it is necessary. As the rustling got louder, he decided on a tree branch that was laying some distance away from him. After lunging to grab it, he broke it in half so that he had two sharp sticks that he could fight with or throw at an enemy so he could make a quick getaway. Sanji got into a fighting position as he heard the rustling get louder.

"Stupid rock, stupid tree, stupid bird" Sanji heard someone talking when the rustling got close to where he was standing.

"Huh?" Sanji tilted his head as a boy walked out of the bushes. A boy that looked like he was close to his age was looking down while walking, and was reading a book that was in his hand.

"Why would Corazon leave me alone on this boring island" the kid grumbled as he continued reading while walking, not noticing Sanji.

Sanji had unknowingly dropped his stick on the ground while he watched the boy, mystified. The boy heard the stick fall and turned around startled, finally noticing Sanji.

"Um, hello?" Sanji said as he scratched the back of his head. He just didn't know what to say to a kid that he had randomly met in a forest that was supposedly some distance from the nearest city.

"Hello" the boy mumbled back and silence took over once again.

"Um, are you lost?" Sanji asked as he studied the boy. He had a slightly tanned complexion with small blotches of white on his skin. He wore somewhat tattered clothes and a big white hat with a few spots around the bottom. The only thing that the boys seemed to have was a small backpack and the book that he was reading earlier. But the one thing that fascinated Sanji the most was the boy's stormy gray eyes.

"No, why do you ask?" The boy asked as he shuffled his feet uncomfortably, for the blonde stranger in front of him was studying his appearance.

"Let's see, you're walking randomly through a forest looking at a book that you are so focused on, that you didn't even notice that you walked by me." Sanji calmly pointed out as he crossed his arms.

"Hmm?" The boy looked around confused. "It seems as if I wandered off again." He grumbled as he got a good look at his surroundings.

'Again?' Sanji thought while he sweat dropped while watching the boy look around himself. 'Does this happen often? Who would let a young boy wander off like this?'

"Well, where is the last place that you remember being?" Sanji cocked his head as he watched the boy think.

"Corazon had left me at a pastry shop with his "friend", but since I was bored, I grabbed a book and I guess I just wandered off while reading." The boy sighed as he realized how he got into his situation. "He had said that he had to report to someone about something."

"A pastry shop…" Sanji tried to remember if there was a pastry shop on the map of the island that he had seen prior to the Baratie docking at the island. 'There's plenty of time to help the kid find this "Corazon".' Sanji decided while looking in the direction of the Baratie. "I've got nothing to do right now so I guess I'll help you get back to that pastry shop."

"Really?" The boy looked at Sanji with cautious eyes. "You do realize that you're helping a stranger that may have the potential to kill you right? I could even be pretending to be lost and would plan to lead you towards a trap where you could be captured or killed right?"

Sanji raised his curly eyebrow in slight surprise. "I'm sure that you're not pretending to be lost; your behavior seems too natural for you to be pretending. And who would think of doing something like that at your age?" The boy became silent, not answering Sanji's question.

"Let's go while it's bright out!" Sanji declared as he started walking towards the beach where the Baratie was docked. It was from there that he could see the city. While Sanji had headed towards the shore, he listened for the boy's footprints. It was silent at first, but he heard another set of footsteps gingerly walk behind him. "Oh yeah!" Sanji stopped walking and turned around to face the boy. "I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Sanji," he held out his hand towards the boy smiling. The kid looked back at Sanji's hand for a moment before begrudgingly holding out his own hand.

"My name is Trafalgar Law."

* * *

He couldn't believe it! Corazon had told him that he would have to disappear for a while to report something to someone and left him at a pastry shop on an island where he had never been before with his "friend". The woman that Corazon had left him with glanced at him every once in a while, but never paid any real attention to Law during his time there. Not even when Law had disappeared for an hour to "borrow" a medical book from the library across town.

"Are you hungry kid?" Law looked up from his book to find a plate full of tarts and a glass that was presumably filled with apple juice placed on the table in front of him. Law nodded his head politely and took a tart from the plate. Corazon's "friend" had grinned and walked back into her shop.

"This is too much sugar," Law muttered as he ate his tart and drank the juice but touched nothing else from the plate. "When's Corazon coming back? I'm bored."

"If you're bored, you can go for a walk if you want," he looked up once again to see Corazon's friend sit down with a cigarette. Law scrunched his nose and muttered "Those things are bad for your health."

"I've used these things since I was a teen," She responded with a smirk. "My body should be accustomed handling the smoke."

"That's not how it works!" Law grumbled silently.

"Corazon should be gone for quite a while, so you should go somewhere to stretch your legs."

Law looked at Corazon's friend. "Do you know where he goes?"

She took a puff and looked back at Law with an amused expression. "Yes, but I won't tell you."

"Why?"

"Because I can't be bothered to tell you things like that and you don't need to know."

"Why can't I know? It's not like I'm going to try to find him after you tell me." Law inquired.

"Corazon told me about you, and he's right, you're pretty smart for a kid." Law gave her an annoyed look. "But he also told me to not tell you about his whereabouts. Whether he tells you is up to him."

"But isn't it natural for me to know where he is? If you haven't noticed, he is pretty clumsy and can accidentally cause his coat to catch on fire or fall even though nothing trips him." Law pointed out. "So I should know where he is just in case he needs me to help him with something just in case he gets hurt in an unfortunate event."

Corazon's friend smiled at Law's argument. "His current location is for me to know, and for you to find out. Now go out and do something instead of probing me for Corazon's location, which is something that I will never reveal."

"But there's nothing to do out there!" Law complained gruffly as he crossed his arms.

"Go to the beach, explore the forest, you might find some rare medical herbs," She took another puff and pointed to Law's new book that he "borrowed" prior to him talking to Corazon's Friend. "It's a small island so you should be fine by yourself."

"Shouldn't you be watching me?" Law asked her nonchalantly while jumping off his chair to go on a walk.

"Like I said, you're a smart kid" the woman shrugged. "Plus, you probably would've tried to escape me sooner or later just for fun, not that it'll matter, because I was always watching whether you knew it or not." Law rolled his eyes and picked up the book before heading towards the library. If he was going exploring again, he would need to get another book. Law had already read through the book and he wanted another one to inform himself of the flora that he had never seen before on the island.

* * *

And here he was, following a random blonde boy that happened to be in the same part of the forest at the same time as him when he was taking a walk.

"Um, Sanji right?" Law asked after walking with the boy towards a destination that only he knew.

"Hmm?" Sanji cocked his head to look at the boy.

"What are you doing in the forest?" Law questioned Sanji as they continued to trek through the forest. By the look of his clothes, Law deducted that he was most likely a cook or a waiter.

"I was just walking around during my break," Sanji answered looking back to the direction of where the Baratie was docked. "I work as a chef on the floating restaurant, the Baratie." Sanji smiled fondly. "It serves the best food and the customer service is top class." Law couldn't help but chuckle to himself as Sanji kept gloating about how amazing the Baratie is. "But the job can be demanding, especially to the smaller, younger but more talented crew members." Sanji frowned slightly. Law looked at Sanji with an amused expression at Sanji's slight jab at the restaurant's treatment of him.

"So where are you from?" Sanji asked Law after a comfortable silence.

"The North Blue" Law answered quietly in response while Sanji's eyes widened in surprise.

"Really? I'm from the North Blue too!" Sanji grinned at the fact that he found something to talk about.

"So I'm guessing that you grew tired of living in the North Blue and decided to work as a cook at the Baratie so you could travel?" Law asked him as they started to walk side by side.

"Hm? No, not quite" Sanji shook his head. "I was born there, but I became a cook at the Baratie after the ship that I was working for, got raided by the Baratie Pirates." Sanji stopped walking and stood still. "A bunch of bad things happened and before I knew it, I was stranded on a rock with the old man that had raided the ship I was working on." Law looked at Sanji curiously and waited for him to continue. "He had two bags with him; A big bag and a small bag. He had given the smaller bag to me saying that since he was bigger, he needed more food for himself and told me to go to the other side of the rock to watch of ships. I of course got angry, but took the smaller bag begrudgingly. I soon ran out of food after a weeks and I got desperate. When I looked back at the old man, he still had a big bag. I attempted to kill him to eat his food but I couldn't." Sanji hid his eye when he looked down.

"Why?" Law couldn't help but ask. He was usually a quiet person, but this kid's story had intrigued him.

"I couldn't because the big bag was full of treasure not food. During those long weeks the man had eaten his leg off so I could eat food. Shortly afterwards we were saved by a ship that had gone close to our rock. And on that day, we had promised to open up a restaurant on the seas. I had also vowed that I would never refuse food to a starving individual regardless if they are evil or not!" Sanji had ended his tale determinedly pumping his fist in the air. He then looked over to Law who looked back at him with a hint of respect. "Yeah, that's my story, geez, we just met a few moments ago and yet I am telling you my life story." He scratched the back of his head embarrassingly.

"Well I think that your story to become a chef on the Baratie is more admirable compared to other's stories about how they came to do their job" Law shrugged slightly to try to make Sanji feel better.

"I guess you're right!" Sanji grinned and started walking again with Law following behind him. "Well since I told you my story, you may as well tell me yours!" He looked at Law from the side.

"No" Law answered curtly and stayed quiet.

"What?" Sanji stopped walking and turned to face Law. "I told you my story, so you tell me yours!"

"I didn't ask you to tell me your story did I?" Law continued to walk in the direction that Sanji was walking at.

"But…" Sanji protested but sadly decided to stop probing Law. It was true, he had never asked Sanji to tell him his story but Sanji had told him anyway. "I'll find out your story sooner or later!" he yelled at Law as he jogged to catch up to him.

"I hope you won't" Law silently muttered as he hid some of the white blotches on his skin.

 **AN: So how was it? Do you think I should continue this story? I know that there is more to Sanji's story and that I didn't accurately talk about Sanji's past, but it may be easier to be vague now, and add more details later. This chapter may probably be the longest one in a while due to it being an introductory chapter, but I may have put in too much information. I will try to update this story as quickly as possible. All reviews and criticisms are welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Hi guys! I have decided to continue my story, all thanks to the positive reviews that I have received. But regardless, the long wait time for the second is inexcusable, so I have made this chapter significantly longer than I had originally intended. This chapter will continue from where I left off in the last chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece only Eiichiro Oda does, please enjoy!**

Chapter 2

After a few minutes, the boys had finally gotten out of the forest. Law looked around curiously and saw a giant floating ship nearby. "A ship? I'm guessing that this the floating restaurant Sanji kept talking about." Law assumed as he saw Sanji grin after seeing the ship.

"There it is! The Baratie!" Sanji declared as he approached the floating ship. "What do you think?"

"It looks like a fish" Law supposed and watched as Sanji sweat dropped at him.

"It looks like a fish? That's all you can come up with?" Law just stared back at him. "I know it looks like a fish! But can't you say anything else about the ship? Like the food wafting from the boat smells delicious, delectable, and mouthwatering! That it looks classy and sophisticated, can't you say anything other than it looks like a fish?" He glared at Law waiting for a response. Law looked at the ship again.

"How can I say anything else? I haven't seen the inside like you have and the only thing on my mind when I see this ship is that it looks like a fish." Sanji sweat dropped once again.

"I know that but…" Before Sanji could continue, a frying pan flew at him from the ship. While Sani was kneeling down, nursing his poor head, Law looked around bewildered.

"A flying pan came out of nowhere and hit his head" Was Law's only response to the incident.

"Grrr… That hurts" Sanji shrieked as a wave of pain hit him again from the spot that the pan hit him.

"Sanji!" An old voice boomed from the ship. Both Sanji and Law's heads looked at the entrance of the restaurant to see a blonde old man with a chef's uniform and a peg replacing one of his legs. "Your break ended a long time ago, what were you doing wandering off away from the Baratie!"

"I was taking a break from not being respected for my talents as a chef!" Sanji yelled back once he remembered his mission to convince the old man to let him work in the kitchen full time.

"Not everyone can work in the kitchen full time you brat! Some people need to be out there to take orders and you know it!" the old man yelled back at Sanji.

"You know that I can cook better than most of the people working in the kitchen and you know it you old geezer!" Sanji retaliated as he faced the old man.

"What did you say you little brat!" Voices could be heard from the kitchen responding to Sanji's insult. Two people wearing a chef's uniform appeared from inside the restaurant and started a shouting match with him.

"They're having a shouting match in front of a restaurant where other people could see them…" Law sighed as he noted with little interest. But now that the restaurant doors were actually open, he could actually smell the food wafting from the boat. "That actually smells pretty good." Before he knew it, Law's stomach started to growl. The three arguing chefs and the old man simultaneously looked at him and Law couldn't help but get a little sweaty from the way their eyes glinted mischievously at him.

"Are you hungry boy?" the old man asked him giving Law a mischievous grin.

"Umm maybe a little bit?" Law responded trying to back away slowly. At his response, the three arguing chef's eyes lit up.

"Then to put this argument to rest, would you mind being a taste tester for these three chefs?" The old man asked as he walked near Law slowly.

"I-ah- have to go somewhere s-s-so" Law tried to get out of there but Sanji stopped him.

"Come on Law!" Sanji grinned and pushed Law towards the entrance of the restaurant. "Like I told you earlier, I can't let someone go hungry. Plus you can help me prove that my cooking is better than theirs."

"Our cooking is better than yours brat!" The two other chefs yelled back at Sanji as he pushed Law inside the restaurant.

The old man snorted at their antics but paused when he remembered a peculiar detail about the boy that Sanji brought with him, it was hidden well so it was hard for him to notice it. "His skin… It had blotches of white on it." The man stroked his beard uncertainly. "He must be from there, that poor soul."

* * *

Once Law was forced inside the restaurant, he was immediately seated at a random table before the two chefs and Sanji dashed to the kitchen to prepare their meals.

"How did I get here" Law sighed and asked himself again after almost half an hour had elapsed. "But it has been a long time since I ate properly at a restaurant." He then tried to remember the last time he was able to sit down and have a pleasant dinner with someone. "I guess it was when…" Law shook his head to get rid of the memories of his hometown. "I'm not weak anymore, I can still get revenge."

"Revenge for what?" Sanji asked seemingly popping out of nowhere. Law was so surprised that he fell out of his chair. "What's up with you now? Did I really surprise you that much?" he snickered as Law sat back onto his chair glaring at Sanji.

"I was thinking about something until you interrupted me." He grumbled back as Sanji set his drink down in front of him.

"Is that so? Well… what?" Sanji asked when he saw Law staring at him.

"You just got hit with a frying pan and were close to crying a few minutes ago. An injury like that would usually end with a concussion or worse, but you seem to be fine." He just shrugged and took a sip from the drink. "This drink does taste good though."

"I'm not that weak you know!" Sanji started to gloat on his accomplishments and endurance but Law just stopped listening after a while.

"Does he always talk this much?" Law couldn't help but sigh at Sanji. He couldn't think of anyone else who would voluntarily talk about anything and everything.

"Anyway, your food is coming out soon" Sanji announced before heading to the kitchen. Law's stomach growled quietly once Sanji walked through the doors that he presumed led to the kitchen.

"What was that?" He then shook his head at his friend's abrupt attitude change from casual to professional and started to get comfortable in his seat before realizing something important. "Wait, do I have to pay for this after this competition is all over?"

* * *

When Sanji entered the kitchen, he was hit with a delightful aroma of delicious cuisine.

"Hey Brat!" a muscular man with a shaved head, by the name of Patty, greeted him with a smirk. "Were you running away because you knew that our dishes would be better than yours?"

"In your dreams" Sanji simply snorted back as he went to his cooking area. "You guys didn't sabotage my dish while I was gone, right?"

"Come on Sanji, we're professional chefs too," another man with brown hair and an unshaven face, Carne, grinned at him while waving his spatula. "Plus, we would never stoop that low in order to win a competition that we can easily win."

"Our food will blow that boy's mind away" Patty laughed as he put the final touches to his dish.

"No, I'm definitely going to win this" Sanji leered back in a cocky manner.

"Really?" Carne chuckled at Sanji's determined face. "What makes you say that?"

"I'm making something that someone from the North Blue would appreciate," Sanji smirked as he opened a pot that he was using and watched as steam erupted from it, smiling.

"That boy's from the North Blue? Then that gives you a greater advantage!" Patty growled at him.

"That's right! A nostalgic flavor will almost always win in a taste testing competition!" Carne agreed next to him. Sanji just shrugged and poured his food into a bowl and put slabs of salmon that he prepared earlier, before sprinkling freshly cracked peppers onto it.

"But in the end, it doesn't matter," Sanji smirked at the two chefs. "Regardless of where he's from, I'm going to win this." He put a parsley leaf on his dish delicately. "Are you guys ready?"

"Of course we are!" the two chefs shouted back waving their cooking tools around in an attempt to look threatening.

"Alright then," Sanji nodded and motioned to the door. "You guys can go first due to my advantage." He smirked at Patty and Carne.

"You cheeky brat!" Patty growled at him before heading out the door with his dish in his hand.

Law was sitting somewhat bored in his chair before he heard the doors to the kitchen open. There, a man with a shaven head hidden underneath a chef's hat approached his table.

'Sanji's not first? He must be very confident in his food.' He then noticed the chef's slightly pissed off face. 'I'm guessing pretty cocky about it too.'

"I present you with my dish" The chef announced as he set down his plate in front of Law. Seafood themed pasta that is seasoned to perfection," Law took a moment to admire the plate a little bit before picking up his fork. "My dish is better than Sanji's" he grumbled as he headed back to the kitchen.

'Tough competition,' Law couldn't help but smile a little bit. 'This is slightly similar to the days of when I was on the Donquixote's crew.' He quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts and once again focused on the Seafood pasta. After taking a bite, his jumped slightly in surprise. "This is tastier than I originally thought it would be, as expected of a professional restaurant."

"So what do you think kid?" An old voice asked him. Law looked to his side just as the chef from earlier sat down in the chair next to him. "That's freshly caught octopi, shrimp, fish and all the wonderful creatures of the sea combined with the milky sauce and delicious spices that complete the enjoyable taste of the pasta." The old man smirked the dish a Law delightfully ate the pasta.

"It is really good," Law agreed as he slurped the last piece of pasta.

"So you were that hungry?" He couldn't help but smile at the sight of someone wholeheartedly eating the food prepared by his chefs. Law nodded slightly to answer his question; I've only eaten a little bit of food since this morning."

"Hmmm," the old man took the finished plate away from Law and called for one of his staff members to take it away. "So who's next?" The old man barked.

"I guess that's me!" Another chef came out of the kitchen. He strolled over to Law's table and presented his dish. "Here is one of my specialty dishes, a Canard a' l' Orange, please enjoy."

Law looked at the plate in surprise. 'They go from a simple, yet satisfying pasta to a fancier meat centered plate?'

"They're trying to compete with Sanji using their specialty dishes." The old man explained after seeing Law's intrigued face.

"Patty is good with pasta while Carne is good with meat. An Sanji, well, he's pretty good at making almost any dish."

"Is that why he's so cocky and confident about his food?" Law couldn't help but ask while smirking. The old man smirked back.

"Chefs are always proud of their dishes, so that trait is natural, but it may be part of the reason. Now dig in." Law nodded and started to eat the second dish. Once he took a bit, Law couldn't help but hum a little bit as the juicy meat, combined with the delicious orange sauce and spices, and overflowed his taste buds with a salivating flavor. "I'm guessing you like this dish right?" the old man smiled at Law's expression. Unlike the other time, Law had nodded almost aggressively as he took another bite.

'Wait, now that I think about it…' Law looked at the old man like he forgot something.

"What's wrong kid?" The old man raised one eyebrow.

"I've just realized that I haven't asked for your name yet."

"That's what you're thinking about while eating a meal?" the old man snickered as Law shrugged before taking another bite. "Well the name's Zeff."

* * *

"I think my victory is guaranteed" Carne came back into the kitchen grinning ear-to-ear.

"What makes you think that?" Sanji asked nonchalantly as he waited for Law to finish Carne's dish so he could amaze him with his own.

"You should've seen his face!" Carne kept grinning. "You could tell that he was really surprised and enjoyed the taste of my dish."

"Really? Well let's see if this brat can get the same response out of that kid." Patty cackled when he saw Sanji's slightly irritated expression.

"My dish is going to be the best," Sanji muttered as he looked at his dish.

"Well in the end, as long as the kid is satisfied with his meal, then I will also be satisfied knowing that he is full and happy with our service." Carne sighed patting Sanji's back.

"I guess you're right." Sanji couldn't help but smile back at Carne's words. 'But I still want the satisfaction of winning this competition.' He then smirked.

"Hey Sanji, looks like the kid's done with Carne's dish" Patty told him with his arms crossed. "Your turns next."

"Sanji! You're next!" Zeff's voice bellowed from the table.

"It's time to win" Sanji grinned confidently as he headed out the kitchen.

* * *

Law smirked as the old man Zeff called for Sanji. "Let's see if he can prove that his dish is the best," He then silently watched with slight interest as the blonde chef strolled out the kitchen with his dish. When Sanji arrived at their table, he placed his dish in front of Law and bowed.

"I present you with a perfect Risotto with fresh salmon and cracked peppers."

"A Risotto Sanji?" Zeff repeated while giving Sanji a knowing look. "Are you taking advantage of the fact that he's from the North Blue?" Law looked at Zeff in surprise.

'I never told him that, how does he know?' he wondered, forgetting momentarily about the blotches on his skin.

"It's always best to know your customer," Sanji quoted back at him with a cocky smirk.

"That cockiness may lead to your downfall," Law couldn't help but mutter quietly as he picked up a spoon and dug in.

* * *

"I'm so full" Law grumbled when he finished the final dish and slumped slightly in his seat.

"After three main dishes, I'm surprised that you managed to eat them all" Zeff chucked as he watched Law. "So, have you decided who's the best chef?"

"Do I really have to choose?" Law grumbled as he sat up properly in his seat.

"Yes you do, you ate three main dishes for free so you have to decide." Zeff grinned as he looked at Law's slightly annoyed face.

'Well if I get to eat for free, I guess there's no choice' he sighed as he yielded and started to think of the winner of their competition. "Sanji wins for nostalgia," Law sighed. "But I really liked the taste of the second chef's dish. And the texture of the first dish was enjoyable."

"So who're you going to choose?" Zeff asked again as Law started to get more and more conflicted.

"Who would've thought?" Law wondered how he got there. 'I was left at a pastry shop, decided to go explore a little bit, then met a blonde chef before being caught up in a cooking competition where I have to decide who's the best chef."

"Well, there's one other option you can choose?" Zeff smirked mischievously.

"What's that?" Law inquired back. If there was any way to avoid making a pointless fight among chefs, then he would agree to it.

"Well you see," Zeff smirked as he crossed his arms and told Law his plan.

* * *

A half hour later, the three chefs were gathered in front of the table that Law and Zeff were sitting at awaiting the verdict. Sanji tried to catch Law's eye to see he had won the competition as he anticipated, but Law was purposely avoiding his gaze with an impish look in his eyes.

"So whose dish was the best?" Sanji asked him after a few solid minutes of silence. "Mine right?"

"No! It had to be mine!" Patty cut him off. "My pasta was better than your risotto!"

"My dish probably delighted him the most!" Carne added in from the side. The three chefs started to bicker about the victor of their little competition as Law watched in bemusement and as Zeff slowly started to get annoyed at their quarreling.

"Shut up you damn brats!" Zeff bellowed at the three, instantly making them go quiet. "So Law, who do you think had the best dish?" The three chefs leaned in slightly to hear his answer. Sanji made sure that Law met his eyes as he waited for the answer.

"Well, I think the best dish goes to…" the three chefs slowly leaned in further to hear his answer.

"Goes to…" They repeated with a bated breath.

"Zeff," Law finally said smiling roguishly. A few seconds of silence had elapsed between all of them. Law couldn't help but chuckle at their surprised and shocked expressions. Zeff, who was sitting next to him, was guffawing at the chefs along with him.

"What do you mean Zeff wins!" Sanji yelled at Law. "What did the old geezer ever do to win!" Both Patty and Carne nodded vigorously to Sanji's question.

"It's simple, his dish was better than the others" Law shrugged nonchalantly while trying to hide a smile.

"His dish?" The three chefs repeated before turning their head towards the head chef.

"Since when were you in this competition old man?" Sanji inquired him slowly.

"It's a cooking competition," Zeff grinned. "It's been a while since I last participated in one, so why not compete in this one?" he said while shrugging.

"Then what did he give you?" Sanji asked Law as he watched the spectacle smirking.

"I gave him one of the best foods in the ocean blue" Zeff began in a deep voice as the chefs slowly gulped and leaned in once again to hear what the master chef had served Law.

"One of the most delightful and delectable desserts that is pretty much loved by everyone, and that is…"

"That is…" they repeated, as they leaned in even closer. At this point, they were on the verge of falling down and Law snickered at the humorous sight. Zeff opened one eye to look at their anticipating faces before saying, "A strawberry shortcake." A long silence occupied the room before it erupted into chaos.

"A strawberry shortcake?" Sanji looked at Law dramatically only to see that his eyes were filled with mirth at their reaction.

"Yes, the simple ones can be the most satisfying," he said as he grinned.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Sanji groaned as he sat down on a chair by the table. "But this doesn't change anything though!"

"The captain and head chef of the ship is the best cook, can't argue with that." Carne sighed smiling and Patty nodded along with him.

"But I still wanted the chance to beat the brat at his own game." Patty laughed.

"What are you talking about?" Sanji talked back amused. "You can't beat me! In fact, your food may have taken last place in this cooking competition!"

"What did you just say, you brat!" Patty yelled back and a shout-out had begun again between them.

"They've started yelling at each other again," Law sweat dropped at them. Before their bickering could escalate, Zeff swiftly kicked their heads.

"What was that for old man?" Sanji groused with a slight whine in his voice.

"Don't squabble inside my ship, if you want to make a ruckus take it outside." Zeff roared at the three chefs and they bolted out the door.

"I guess even professional chefs can be idiots," Law sighed as he heard sounds of yelling, scraping metal and kicking from outside.

"Hey kid," Law tilted his head to look at the old man. "What were you doing out there with Sanji? And from what I can see between you two, this is the first time you have met each other." Law just shrugged at his question.

"You are right, I had bumped into him during my "exploration" of the forest" he calmly explained as the yelling outside got louder.

"Hmm, so what are you doing on this island?" Zeff asked him. "Even though I haven't been here for a long time, I know for a fact that you aren't from here." He carefully gauged Law's reaction. "Those white spots on your skin, they're caused by the Amber Lead Syndrome, am I correct?" Law flinched and tried to quickly hide the white blotches on his skin that he had forgotten about during the buzz about the food competition. "Don't worry kid." Law looked up with a dangerous glare that disappeared as soon as he saw his reassuring face. "I doubt that anyone else has noticed those spots since those damn brats Sanji, Patty and Carne will attract everyone's attention."

"Then shouldn't you be worried about the safety of your customers?" Law mumbled so only Zeff could hear him. "Everyone keeps saying that the disease is contagious and can spread easily to other people, so aren't you endangering everyone in this room?" He clenched his teeth as he remembered all of the doctors that Corazon had taken him to see cowering at the sight of his skin and screaming that he is a monster that should be eradicated.

"I've heard a lot of rumors from the people who have come and gone from this restaurant, and some of them happen to be true." Zeff calmly sighed and sat down on one of the chairs near him. "But I have never heard of someone that caught the Amber lead Syndrome that was actually telling the truth."

"How did you know that they were lying?" Zeff guffawed at his question.

"I was a notorious pirate captain as well as an experienced chef, of course I would know if someone is lying. It's a trade that you have to learn in order to live and survive on the sea." Law offhandedly agreed with him.

Zeff grinned at Law but decided to focus once again on the matter at hand. "So what were you doing "exploring" the forest by yourself? Don't you have a caretaker of someone to look after brats like you to make sure you don't do something stupid?"

"Well my "caretaker" left me at a pastry shop somewhere in the town because he needed to go meet up with someone." Law grumbled back. "But I became bored so I went out to "explore" the forest to find something to cure my boredom."

"A pastry shop you say?" Zeff walked away from Law and disappeared from his sight as he went down a hallway. He then returned after a few minutes with a map in his hand.

"Here's the map of the island" Zeff said as he rolled out the map. "We are anchored right here," He marked their current location. "This island is pretty small compared to the other islands surrounding it, but the town here is quite famous due to its pastries" He then pointed out the pastry shops that were labeled on the map. "I've come here a couple of times to try them all out and I can tell you from experience that they are delicious. I can also tell you from experience that the pastry shops are located close to each other."

"But why would they need so many pastry shops on this island?" Law as he noted that there were at least four or five pastry shops in a two mile radius. 'Even if these people loved pastries, there were clearly too many pastry shops!'

"This island's pastries are very popular in the East Blue, so the people on this island are rich compared to the other islands around here. For that reason, many pirates have come here to pillage the town countless times, but it all stopped when Big Mom heard the rumors of the pastries and came to this island. When she arrived here, she apparently struck a deal with the people on this island. As long as they keep making and shipping her pastries, this island will receive her protection."

"And the other pirates don't cause any trouble?"

Zeff nodded solemnly. "The Yonko have an extremely strong influence in the pirate world."

"A strong influence…" Law repeated with calculating eyes. "So if I were to take down one of the Yonko, what would happen?"

"You would essentially rule their territory. The Marines won't be able to touch you, and your fame as a pirate would basically become legend if you play your cards correctly."

"A legend and no Marine will be able to get me…" Law echoed and an idea popped up in his head. 'But can I go through with it?' he pondered secretly.

Zeff watched Law scrutinize the map, but he knew that look, it was a look of someone with a great ambition. "Anyway Kid, these pastry shops are close to each other, so you should have no trouble finding it." When Law nodded dutifully, Zeff rolled up the map and walked out the restaurant door with Law trailing behind him curiously. As soon as they took a step outside, something sailed past him. When Law looked to his right, he saw something resembling a spoon embedded into the wood next to the door.

"How did it escalate this much?" he couldn't help but sweat drop when he took in his surroundings. There were many cooking utensils scattered all over the floor, a few cracks could be seen on parts of the deck and currently the three chefs were wrestling on the wooden floor shouting insults at each other. Next to him, Zeff huffed irritatingly and made his way over to the trio. They were so concentrated on each other, so they didn't notice an old, angry master chef making his way towards them until it was too late. As Zeff positioned his feet to issue a punishment to the unsuspecting chefs, Law looked away and grimaced slightly at their screams and grunts of pain. When he looked back, he saw the trio lying on the ground with massive bumps on their heads. As they comically whined about their injuries, Law noted that by the way Zeff kicked them; they should all be knocked out with a concussion. "I guess stupidity also comes with a hard head," he chuckled to himself.

"Fine, I'm going, I'm going!" when he heard Sanji talking, he turned his head towards the blonde to see him sulking along with the other two chefs that were starting to clean up their mess as quickly as possible.

"Hey Law! This brat is going with you to find that pastry shop!" Zeff called out before kicking Sanji off the ship to accentuate his words.

"You didn't have to kick me you old geezer!" Sanji's yell could be heard from the beach.

"Here's the map" Zeff said as he handed the parchment to Law. "The town is pretty close to here so you should reach the entrance after taking a short stroll through the forest." Law nodded and was about to make his way off the ship until a hand on this shoulder stopped him. "I hope you find a way to cure your condition." He looked up in surprise at the old chef to see his slightly sentimental eyes. "If you ever want great food, don't be a stranger and try to find us." Law shot him a grateful smile and made his way towards a fuming Sanji.

"He might have great potential if he survives…" Zeff silently muttered woefully to himself before roaring at Patty and Carne to also fix the deck while they were at it.

* * *

Sanji spent the next few minutes talking to Law, growling about how he would've beat Patty and Carne if he had a few more seconds. When Law chuckled at a particular threat, Sanji glared at him only to be ignored.

"So we're supposed to wander around town till we find this pastry shop you speak of?" Sanji looked at Law for an answer but he only received a nod in return. "Why don't you talk a little bit more?" He fumed again only to be met with silence. Giving up, Sanji put his hands in his pocket and started looking around at his surroundings. "Ne, Law, have you ever dreamed of doing something?" Law's head popped up in slight surprise at this question, for it had come seemingly out of the blue.

"Why do you ask?  
"It's better than spending this time in silence that's why!" He watched as Law pondered over the question for some time before looking back at him with a certain conviction.

"If I live past this year, I want to become a surgeon."

"A surgeon? That's amazing!" Sanji grinned at him with awe. "In this world we need more doctors to treat people who get injured in wars and pirate rampages."

"Actually" Law interrupted him somewhat shyly. "I want to be a pirate captain as well…" Sanji gapped at him.

"A surgeon as well as a pirate captain? Aren't those two things slightly contro… um contar…" Sanji frowned as he tried to search for the word.

"Contradictory?" Law rolled his eyes.

"Yes, that's the word," Sanji nodded. "A pirate conquers while a surgeon saves lives, isn't it a little contradictory?"

Law simply shrugged, "It comes with a lot of power and advantages, not to mention, I want to be a pirate so I can obtain my goal."

"What is that goal?" Sanji got slightly excited; his new friend's dream must be pretty big!

"I don't know yet" he simply answered back before walking ahead as Sanji comically fell to the ground.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I haven't thought it through, but I may accomplish it eventually." Law said with conviction. "That is, if I get to live longer." His pace started to slow down. Sanji glanced at his face to see a somber expression.

"What do you mean 'If I get to live longer'?" He asked worriedly, was Law hurt of something?

Law noticed his mistake and quickly shook his head. "No, no, forget that I said anything, sorry." Sanji continued to glance apprehensively at his companion. "Anyway what's your dream?" Law asked Sanji, hoping that it would cause him to forget their current topic.

His eyes lit up immediately. "My dream is to find the All Blue!" Sanji jumped and grinned excitedly.

"The All Blue?" Law repeated; he had heard about someplace called the All Blue, but didn't know what it was.

"Yeah, the All Blue! It is a place where the fish from all over the ocean can be found!" He explained enthusiastically. "It is a chef's dream to find it, but one day, I will definitely find the All Blue!"

"Trying to find a place that is supposedly a myth, what an ambitious dream," Law grinned at his passionate outburst.

"I'll find it someday, you'll see!" Sanji declared proudly.

"So what are you going to do when you find it?" Law pressed. "There must be something that you want to do there."

Sanji seemed to pause for a moment, "I'll thing about it once I find it!" He grinned satisfied with his answer.

"Of course you will" Law rolled his eyes before looking back at Sanji who looked like he was about to respond before something up ahead caught his eye.

"We made it to the entrance" he calmly noted with a slightly depressed tone. "After you find that restaurant, are you going to leave?" Sanji asked solemnly as they passed through the gateway into the town.

"Hm, it depends on when Cora-san gets there, which I hope will be soon" Law answered nonchalantly as he studied the map, failing to notice his blonde companion's somewhat gloomy expression.

"Oh, okay then… Let's go find that pastry shop!" Sanji tried to cover up his sad mood with an enthusiastic one. "Come on!" he grabbed Law's hand and ran in the direction of the closest pastry shop on the map.

* * *

"Is this place it?"

"No."

"Do you recognize this area?"

"No."

"Then how are we supposed to find it then!" The people nearby glanced at the blonde boy who was yelling at his black-haired companion.

"We'll find it eventually…" Law shrugged and walked off with a frustrated Sanji tailing after him.

"We've been searching forever!" Sanji groaned as they past another shop that Law ignored.

"We've only been looking for about twenty minutes" Law calmly pointed out.

"Well at this rate, we're taking, this will take forever!" He groaned once again.

"You're over exaggerating, if we look around the whole town, we will eventually find it, so it will not take 'forever'." Law rebutted back. Sanji then promptly gave up arguing with him. "I can never win anything can I?" he grumbled while Law observed the map again.

"We should be getting close to finding it soon" Law noticed as he saw the number of pastry shops they need to see dwindle in number.

"Great! Then for escorting you for the last few hours, I'm going to get some free pastries that will be paid your caretaker!" Sanji got pumped up all of a sudden. "I've heard that the pastry shops here are considered the best in all of East Blue!"

"So they say" Law mumbled as he looked at his surroundings again. "I think I recognize that library…"

"You have? We must be close!" Sanji exclaimed before grabbing the map from his hands and inspecting it.

"The Library… didn't I borrow a book from there?" Law pondered as he followed his companion. "I must have dropped it somewhere, either in the woods or on the ship…" He then chuckled. "Well chances are, they're not going to find that misleading book; most of those notes were false anyway."

"Hey Law," Sanji called him over. "This is just a guess, but do you think that this is the place?" he pointed to a patisserie on the map that was both close to their location and also near the forest line.

"That may be it" he hummed and walked in the direction of the patisserie. Sanji sadly but obediently followed behind him.

"I shouldn't have said anything." he muttered quietly.

* * *

After walking for a short distance, Law noticed a familiar pastry shop up ahead.

"There it is" he pointed the shop out to Sanji before stopping to look at his friend's expression. "You were all smiles just a minute ago, why do you look depressed all of a sudden?" He cocked his head. Sanji just shrugged in response before plastering a smile on his face.

"It doesn't matter anymore, let's eat some pastries!" he launched towards the restaurant leaving Law behind in a cloud of dust.

"Such a child," he shrugged before walking towards the pastry shop. By the time he got to the patisserie, Sanji was already sitting at the table eating from a pile of pastries.

"Hey Law! Try some, these are delicious!" Sanji called him over as he swallowed his bite before popping in another one.

Rolling his eyes, Law strolled over to his blonde companion's table.

"How did you get a plate so fast?" He grumbled while taking a seat in front of Sanji looking at the plate of steaming pastries. "And how do you expect to pay for that?"

"Don't worry about that, it's on the house!" A familiar voice called from inside the shop; as he turned his head towards the entrance, the pastry shop owner from earlier appeared in the doorway grinning with another cigarette in her mouth.

"It's about time you show up; I was going to consider looking for you." She grinned as she watched Sanji scarf down the pastries.

"Yep! They taste amazing!" Sanji complemented her. "The right balance of sour and sweet fruits along with the correct amount of spices truly makes this a savory treat!" He gobbled down another pastry. Law rolled his eyes as he took a pastry from the plate.

"You really know how to complement a lady don't you?" She cackled as she pulled up a chair and sat close to the two boys.

Sanji grinned back at her before grabbing another pastry, looked at the filling and handed it to Law. "Hey Law, the filling in this one is the best! Try it!"

"Exactly how many of these have you eaten?" Law smirked before accepting the pastry. "Hm, it's quite good, it tastes of oranges."

"Right? I love oranges!" Sanji jumped in his seat.

"So you kids like that filling too?" The owner grinned with pride. "That's my specialty filling, orange. I happen to love oranges so anything I make with oranges taste delicious." Both Sanji and Law hummed before grabbing a pastry simultaneously. She watched them eat with a smile on her face. "You brats are adorable, you now that?" Sanji blushed at the compliment while Law raised his eyebrow slightly. "I want to have kids one day, at least two children and a small house where we can grow an orange field. And we would spend our time cooking, picking oranges, and having fun." The owner sighed at her fantasy as the two boys watched her.

"That sounds nice" Sanji smiled at her as he snatched the last pastry and Law glared at him slightly.

"But if you're a marine, isn't it going to be get that kind of life?" Law inquired. That question had taken her off guard.

"Wait, how did you know that I was a marine?" She gawked at him.

Law shrugged. "Easy, Cora-san would only trust another close marine to look after me while giving his report to someone out there, not to mention that he's technically still a pirate, so he can't have many trustworthy friends." The owner kept looking at him with wide eyes before breaking off into a laugh.

"Wow, Rosinante was right, you are too good smart for your own good!" At that, Law scowled at her.

"That's what you get for underestimating me."

While the two were talking, Sanji was slowly absorbing the information. "Law's caretaker is a pirate that works for the marines?" The thought itself seemed absurd. "It seems as though this Cora-san is more closely affiliated with the marines rather than the pirates though, doesn't that mean that Law is in constant anger if they find out about this treason?" He glanced worriedly at Law.

"Well it's nice to know that a smart kid is looking after Rosinante." The owner laughed and patted Law's head. "If you have any trouble, come look for me." She grinned at him as he kept trying to get her hand away from his hair.

"Can I come here again too?" Sanji piped up, surprising the two.

"Sure, you can come anytime kid!" Sanji grinned in satisfaction before noticing that he forgot to do something.

"I am sorry for not doing this earlier, but my name's Sanji, nice to meet you." Law gaped with him in surprise, 'he didn't introduce himself to her earlier? Then how did he get the tarts?' The owner, unperturbed, held her own hand out to Sanji.

"Nice to meet you Sanji, my name's Bellemere."

* * *

Time had passed by quickly, and before they had realized it, the sky had started to sink in the sky.

"Hm," Sanji looked at the sky apprehensively. "I guess it's time for me to go." His eyes meet with Law's sadly.

"I guess so, today was fun." He agreed, albeit feeling slightly awkward.

"Yeah," Sanji nodded. Not many kids come to the Baratie and it was extremely rare for him to spend so much time with a stranger, but it would be the first time for him to be with someone as intriguing and interesting as Law. "I mean, we'll meet on the seas someday right?" He asked him with such hope filled eyes that Law had laughed in amusement.

"Yes, we'll meet each other in the sea someday." Law felt his heart twinge at the lie.

"Next time we meet, you'll be the most ferocious and feared pirate surgeon, and I'll be a master class chef." Law shot a smile at the blonde boy.

"Yes, and hopefully we'll have achieved our dreams," He glanced at Sanji teasingly and laughed when he was playfully punched on the shoulder.

"Shut up! I told you that I'm definitely going to find the All Blue!" He glared at Law before his expression changed again into an excite one. "Let's make a promise to meet again in the future." Law looked uncertainly at the offered hand. "What's wrong? You afraid to shake my hand?" Sanji jokingly coaxed after Law didn't shake his hand instantly.

"I was wondering if you could hold your side of the deal," Law lied through his teeth.

"I am going to find the All Blue!" Sanji yelled at him and grabbed Law's hand, forcing him to shake his hand. "There, that's a promise." Sanji huffed dramatically before looking at the sky that was slowly starting to show tinges of orange and red. "I guess I really have to go" He sighed dejectedly.

"I guess you do" Law muttered and their eyes met.

"Next time I see you, you better be a surgeon, the best surgeon, the scariest surgeon. You'll be named something like… 'The Surgeon of Death'!" He exclaimed laughing.

"That sounds like a stupid name," Law smirked shaking his head.

"Think about it please!" Sanji begged while attempting a puppy dog face.

"I'll think about it," Law agreed after pretending to think about it.

"Anyway, I really have to go" Sanji sighed while slowly making his way back to the Baratie. "Don't be a stranger alright?" He shouted at the black haired boy.

"We'll see about that" Law shouted back. Sanji laughed at the response and ran off in the direction of his home. "Surgeon of Death! Surgeon of Death!" He kept chanting.

"What a moron" Law sighed as he walked back to his chair. As soon as he sat down, a feeling of great remorse rose inside him. "I've only been with him for a day, yet I feel as if we were best friends. Maybe if we meet again…" He then roughly shook his head. "No, that's not possible, my disease will kill me soon, there's not chance for me to live that long." A familiar type of depression overcame him. It didn't take long for tears to slowly roll down his face. "I'm starting to run out of time," He thought desperately.

* * *

It wasn't until the next day that Corazon had finally arrived at the little pastry shop.

"Hey Law!" A tall blonde man with a ridiculous makeup and black flamingo coat called out as he pranced into the building. "I'm back, Law?" He glanced around worriedly only to not find Law inside the shop.

"Law! Where are you Law!" He frantically started calling out for him.

"Be quiet Rosinante!" Somebody hit his head from behind him. Turning around, Corazon saw one of his dear friends, Bellemere smirking back at him. Before he could respond, he was pulled into a rough neck lock as she ruffled his hair aggressively. "Come here you" she playfully messed up his already messy hair as he struggled in her strong grip.

"Bellemere!" He greeted her enthusiastically while rubbing his neck once he was released. "How have you been? How was Law? Wait, where is he?" His tone had changed from joyful to worried in a few seconds.

"I've been doing fine, and your kid is sleeping in the room out back" Bellemere calmly rolled her eyes before heading towards the kitchen. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"Yes please," He gratefully accepted the offer before sitting down at one of the chairs close to him.

"So, why did you go see the boss?" Bellemere asked him curiously as she set down some pastries along with a cup of steaming coffee. "Knowing your situation, it must be an extremely important reason for you to go see him right now, with your brother possibly tracking your movements and all."

"I finally found the location of where the Ope Ope devil fruit is," Corazon answered back excitedly. "Law can finally be cured of the Amber Lead Syndrome!"

"Really! That's great news!" Bellemere smiled before sweat dropping at the sight of her friend burning his mouth with the hot coffee. "Even after all these years, you haven't changed a bit. Once a klutz, always a klutz" she shook her head in mock disappointment. Regardless, Corazon beamed at her and grabbed a pastry. "So when are you planning on going?"

"I want to leave as soon as possible so I can get the fruit for Law and take him somewhere so my brother won't find us for a while." He sighed at the thought of the treacherous path ahead of him.

"Well if you need someplace to stay, don't hesitate to come back here" Bellemere offered somewhat shyly. "This island is protected by Big Mom so no warlord can come here causing trouble." She glanced at him hopefully only to find that he was still looking around for the kid.

"You are right, that is an option" he agreed and took another sip from his drink without burning his tongue. "But we need to get through this whole ordeal before deciding things like that."

Bellemere nodded in understanding and was about to get herself a cup of coffee before hearing the back door open with a tired kid standing in the doorway.

"Hey Law! How was yesterday?" Corazon enthusiastically asked him only to get a tired and half-hearted glare in his direction. "What?"

"He had a long day yesterday so it's no wonder that he's tired now." Bellemere answered for him before heading to the kitchen to grab her coffee and some juice for Law.

"Really? Well I hope you had fun" Corazon grinned while taking a bite of another pastry.

"I had fun" Law muttered before taking a pastry from Corazon's plate.

"Wait, you really had fun?" Corazon looked at him in surprise. "You didn't cause any big trouble right?"

"No" Law rolled his eyes. "So why were you gone for only a day?" He inquired.

"I had to go report to my boss and I just got some good news!" Corazon told him excitedly crushing the half-eaten pastry in his hand.

"Rosinante, don't waste food," Bellemere came back and scolded him affectionately before putting a glass full of juice in front of Law.

"Oops, sorry Bellemere" Corazon scratched his head before bringing his attention back to the subject at hand. "I just got some information about the location of the Ope Ope devil fruit!" And to his surprise, Law's eyes had twinkled brighter than he had ever seen them.

"Really? You know where it is?" Law uncharacteristically jumped up and down at the information.

Corazon got even more excited at the news once he saw Law's response. "Yep! And we can leave as soon as possible," He grinned eagerly.

"So I can actually keep my promise." Law muttered under his breath at the exciting news.

"Hn? What promise?" Corazon asked him to his surprise.

"Oh, um, I'll tell you once we get this thing over with," He shrugged before shooting him a grin. "By the way, after I get the devil fruit, we need to go to a certain restaurant."

"A restaurant?" Corazon repeated. "That sounds like a great idea, but why do you suggest going to some place all of a sudden?"

"You'll find out when we find it," Law grinned before eating another pastry. Corazon glanced at Bellemere curiously only to get a knowing smirk in return.

"What? Why won't you tell me? Please tell me!" Corazon started begging Law to his amusement.

Bellemere watched amused as her friend, now a grown adult, continue to pester a child, "I guess he'll never change." She murmured again and glanced at the clock only to notice that it was almost time for her open her shop. "Hey Rosinante, It's almost time for me to start preparing for customers, but do you need anything?" Corazon shook his head and stood up.

"No thank you, it's about time that Law and I get back on the road to our destination to get that devil fruit." Law nodded and stood up as well with a determined and excited expression on his face.

"Oh, then I hope you boys come back safely." Bellemere sighed and stepped forward to hug her friend tightly. "You better come back you hear?" Corazon flinched at her constricting hug.

"Yes, I hear you loud and clear." He grinned back at her reassuringly once they parted. "You still have that strong grip from when we were young marines." Corazon chuckled as he rubbed his now sore arm.

"I have to be strong, all the men around me were such weaklings" Bellemere playfully snorted back as they headed out the door.

"Hey! I wasn't weak" Corazon lightheartedly pouted when they got outside.

"Sure you weren't" she rolled her eyes and stood outside her shop.

"I'll prove it to you," Corazon told her as he walked away with Law smirking while trailing after him. "When we come back, we'll have a competition to see who's the stronger one!"

"Sure we will," She playfully rolled her eyes in response. "Good luck you two, and come back safely!" She yelled again while waving as they started walking away. The only response she got was a parting wave from her friend and a subtle nod from Law. "I should prepare a feast when they come back!" Bellemere reassuringly nods to herself and heads back inside. "While I'm waiting, I might as well start preparing for it now!" She runs to the kitchen to prepare for the hearty meal for when Rosinante and Law come back. She waited and waited, but they never came back.

 **AU: I wanted to end this chapter with a moment between Corazon and Bellemere, since this would be the last time that they will appear in this story. I hope I correctly portrayed everyone's personalities well enough. I also apologize if you were annoyed at the huge amount of filter in this chapter, and promise that something like this will most likely not happen again. In the next chapter, Law and Sanji will be adults and will meet again in the Sabaody Archipelago. I will try to make sure to upload the next chapter as soon as I can, and hopefully you don't have to wait as long as it took me to upload this one. Please read and review, and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!**


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